Reading THE FOREVER HOUSE was a "it blew me out of the water" experience: so yes, explosive, mind-blowing, mind-boggling, psychedelic, and best of all for this reader: Way Lovecraftian. Multiverses and Hungry Void, almost-immortal races (many), species of Otherness to which all of humanity are only playthings, psychic food to sate the appetite, leftovers to offer to the always-ravenous Gyre. Great character evolution, and not all survive. But this is Weird Fiction: can you really expect a Happy-Ever-After?


I loved it.

This is the second book that I have read by Tim Waggoner and I have found his books to be a breath of fresh air. Firstly, he has his unique way of telling a story and gives us plots that do not fit the tiresome realm of horror that we are normally subjected to.

Forever House is a story that gives us the Eldreds which are like the Addams Family without the kooky and the cute. What we get his a group of foes that delve into the subconscious and take personal fears to feed off of them. This is a fantastic premise and love the way the story unfolds.

The characters are exceptional written and very human with flaws, anxieties and secrets. Characters who live on a cul-de-sac as neighbours but no one really knowing the true situation behind closed doors. There is a large cast of characters in the neighbourhood alone and Waggoner has taken special care to ensure that each of these are fleshed out and real. This is quite a feat as it would have been very easy to lose the thread on some of these characters or create two characters that are too much alike so the reader gets lost on who is who. This does not happen.

The Eldreds add to the mix of normal folks are interest and completely awe inspiring. They have a mythos all their own and as I like to refer to them as the dysfunctional Satans of hell Addams Family. The relationship with each other, the reasoning behind what they do combine with their otherworldly being brings the reader focus. These are no ordinary foes but fully fleshed out otherworldly beings with soul and reverence to the plot.

The plot is amazing and fully satisfying for any reader. With three dimensional characters and a plot fully developed by its emotional core. There is a deep sense of urgency that is masterfully handled by the author with the right balance. Characters surprisingly meet there demise and leaves you feeling unbalanced in a good way and the ending is very satisfying indeed.

Overall, this is a great read for the person who is looking for something different from the standard horror, dark fiction realm that we are used to. Think Stephen King and Clive Barker have given birth and we have Tim Waggoner. This is an excellent book that is deep in human emotions and pathos, otherworld existence, murder in a small neighbourhood and the ghost of people’s past coming back to haunt them. No stone is left unturned and the reader will rejoice with the exceptional way Waggoner is able to tell a story. Fully recommend.

The Forever House starts out wonderfully unique and intriguing. I cant explain why but I kept getting a very specific vibe- has anyone ever seen the Hush episode of Buffy? I kept thinking of the Eldred's as those type of creatures.

Unfortunately aside from this and the fact there is LGBTQ rep in this book I cannot tell you a lot else.

Usually I would refuse to give feedback when i don't finish the entire book but I feel i have to in this case.

Be warned, there is terribly graphic incestuous child rape and peadophilia included in this title.
For that reason I have stopped reading at 25% in.
I thought I had a strong stomach, clearly not strong enough.

To be honest, I have sometimes complained about my neighbor- smoking outside in his bathrobe, watching his wife mow the lawn etc. But no more. After reading The Forever House, I'm just glad he's not magically trying to kill us all. I could have it so much worse. The poor neighbors in this book have no idea what they are in for, and none of it will be good for them. Kind of a slow moving book, but that also adds to the horror of what is happening. Thanks for NetGalley for letting me preview this book in exchange for my unbiased evaluation.

This book is a gory,spine chilling feast of words. The family that occupy the Forever House make the Addams family look like soft,fluffy sparkly Disney character’s. The Eldreds move into the neighbourhood and safety and sanity take the express train out . If you love a good ghostly horror story with more twist that a corkscrew on a Saturday night in a wine bar this is for you. The author has created a book filled with delightful deadly creatures who feed off your fear and prejudice in the place of your flesh although they are not above a nibble or two. You are welcome to a house of death and destruction created by its occupants. Can you survive the night or will all be lost. Add into the horror a battle for dominance within the family dynamic and you get a whole new level of deliciousness. For any horror fan this book will tick your boxes with s its gore, its suspense and mind blowing finale. A must for you TBR pile.

One would think that a mother slaughtering her entire family and then killing herself would be the worst thing that could happen in a house. Unfortunately, what happens after the house is purchased and the new owners move in is far worse.

The Eldred appear to be a, well, not normal, but at least human family. Mother, Father, two kids, grandma...who would guess that they are actually shapeshifting, reality bending creatures who feed on the emotions of people. They pull their neighbors into the house and then subject them to horrible trials in order to make the emotions sweeter.

This is simply the very basics of the story. In the hands of another author, this would be all you have. However, Waggoner creates an entire neighborhood of believable characters who the reader quickly comes to care about. We learn about their personal lives, their interactions, their joys, their fears and insecurities. This makes what happens later that much more impactful.

The things which are encountered inside the house...inside...well, not really. The house has been changed by The Eldred. There is an entire world inside the house and Waggoner has populated it with some very unpleasant things. The Forever House is frightening, well written, and extremely enjoyable. Waggoner does an amazing job of making the fantastic believable.

Visit The Forever House. You won't be disappointed.

This was my 1st read by Tim Waggoner, and it did not disappoint. It was a very unique, creative tale. The Eldreds family moves into an empty house in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. This family is unlike other families in that they are not human, although they are able to disguise themselves as such. They need to feed on the dark emotions of human beings, and they are hungry. Now it is time for them to meet their neighbors. Like most places, this little slice of suburbia is full of secrets and petty grievances. The residents of the cul de sac need to put aside their differences and figure out how to work together in order to survive.
Not for the faint-of-heart, this story was chock full of spurting blood and snapping bones. There was also pedophilia - which, although is not entertaining in the least, did not feel gratuitous, and it did fit within the structure of the tale. Although the author did not shy away from that particular horror, he also did not dwell. What did surprise me was that the author was able to make a twisted character sympathetic without condoning such deviant urges.
I enjoyed the way the characters were fleshed out, even if I did not find myself connecting with any of them. The ending was a bit of a twist, but it didn't surprise me. The story felt like it came full circle, which for me was quite satisfying.
I do want to give this story 3.5 stars, but GoodReads does not allow half stars. I think that if I had felt a connection to the characters, then I would have gone all the way to 4 stars.
I look forward to exploring more stories by Tim Waggoner.

This is the second book I've read from this author and I really enjoyed the unique premise. When Waggoner really unleashes, his scenes of horror and revulsion steal the show. There are scenes in this book that truly made my horror nerd heart happy.

While the above worked for me, there were several pieces that just missed the mark, It's odd because all of the things I'm about to mention are things I partially liked and then also didn't. First, the setting. I also live in Ohio and I felt that Waggoner really nailed the feel of small town life here. In fact, he could've very well have been describing my own neighborhood. There were times, though, that it felt a bit overextended, for lack of a better word.. From the almost unbelievable diversity of the characters (diversity is NOT a bad thing), to the way they interacted, it just seemed forced or full of "too much". I think I am doing a terrible job of describing this part; I struggle to find the right words to explain myself here.

Next, the "monsters" in this book have some amazing scenes and I LOVE that they feed off of pain and despair. What they do to the characters in this book borders on extreme psychological horror and I loved it. I wanted the author to really go there with them, though. Monstrous vehicles and truly creepy characters, and then there's a robot head that attaches itself to a dead body. Like the neighborhood, it pushed it too far, it became almost a caricature, and I was looking for something different.

Can Waggoner write? Absolutely. Will I read another from this author? Yes, definitely. Beyond my issues, I did enjoy this quick read. There are plenty of other reviews from readers who loved this book, so be sure to check them out as well. This was just one reader's experience.

From the very beginning it's obvious this is going to be a wonderfully weird and unusual tale. It's an original and bizarre horror novel that requires you to drop your ideas of normal reality.
I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped though. I think it's due to the lack of one or two distinct protagonists. A lot of attention is given to all the protagonists. It builds a strong picture of each character and how they relate to each other, but it slows momentum and actually made it hard for me to make an emotional connection with any of them.
If you like horror fiction that is out there, however, give this a go.

This was a truly unnerving, intriguing & horrifying novel and I absolutely loved it! Tim Waggoner definitely knows how to pull a reader in & keep them engrossed. The Eldred's came across exactly as he meant them to, I believe.. Creepy, bizarre, nightmarish and yet, absolutely fascinating! Couldn't put this one down! Fantastic read for horror lovers!

Time Waggoner's THE FOREVER HOUSE is as original a horror story as you're going to find anywhere. When a family of hungry creatures moves into the Raines's murder house, the entire cul-de-sac is about to be welcomed in.
You have a cast of excellent characters with flaws and fears that will bring them to death's door.
What a wonderfully creepy book!
Think an ultra-evil Addam's Family meets Tom Hank's The 'Burbs meets The Amityville Horror and you might come close to what Waggoner's imagination drums up in his latest novel for Flame Tree Press.

I give THE FOREVER HOUSE 4.5 stars bumped up to 5 for its originality.
Go get this!

My thanks to Flame Tree Press, Netgalley and Tim Waggoner.
Well, I must say that I'm not a Waggoner fan at all.
However, I may have to rethink my opinion and read more from this author.
I seldom read reviews, or at least finish the second half of reviews if I know I'm going to be reading the book. I came across a whole review, of which I read half! It convinced me that this book would be extremely bloody and scary. So, I only read it during the day! Good call, for me! I read the first 50 pages, and thought "Lisa, you're too old for this shit!" Yep, the older I get....Anyhow, for me? Daytime reading was a decent choice. The Eldred by day, and Vampires at night!
This story was all kinds of messed up! I had no clue how it would end, and I liked that. This is a story that would have given me the true willies if I'd been fool enough to read it at night, and fallen asleep with it in my thoughts.
This is one I'd recommend.
Just keep in mind though, the older I get, the less able I am to handle some books that I would have sailed through just a few years ago!

This wasn't my first Tim Waggoner book so I was well prepared for more of his brand of messed up crazy. 
There is an empty house on Brookside Court that nobody has lived in for years.  No one wants to live there despite the fact that the property is available to purchase at a knock down price.  Might have something to do with the fact that five people died horribly on the property.  But now there is finally interest in 'the blood house' and a new 'family' is moving in.  A group of five supernatural beings/creatures/monsters a little bit like the Addams family or the Munsters but much less cuddly.  You see, this creepy lot feed on humans, specifically their negative emotions, and there are plenty of those on the cul-de-sac of Brookside Court.
This book is incredibly imaginative and original with plenty of action and crazy characters.  There are a few places where I felt that the story dragged a bit, and I found it a tiny bit repetitive a couple of times too.  But on the whole this is a decent horror story, bloody, bonkers and pretty entertaining as well.

This review is based on an egalley from NetGalley.

The novel starts tensely, with a long series of flashbacks that reveal how an otherwise bland suburban house became the "House of Blood" when a mother murdered her husband and three children, then killed herself. Then we meet the somewhat obviously named Eldred clan, a goth family that one could easily see inhabiting a Charles Addams panel. They buy the House of Blood and swiftly move in, their evil motivations clear if not yet detailed.
Now is when things start to drag. We're next introduced to every neighbor of the House in its private little cul de sac: A husband unsure how to deal with the news that his wife is bisexual; their unrepetently bigoted neighbor Martin, his Asian wife Cora and their young daughter; and a widow determined to protect her son, while protecting the world from the sexual predator he may be turning into.
After an uncanny cookout at the Eldreds to introduce themselves and get to know their new neighbors, and their weaknesses, the Eldreds coerce their neighbors into the House and begin to play with each person's fears and prejudices, dining on the chaotic energies they give off.
This is the point where I started to get bored. None of the characters had really engaged me up to now, (about 1/3 of the way through the galley) and watching them get tortured and chased around just wasn't compelling. From the book's blurb, I gather the humans eventually meet up with their emotional opposites, form groups, and try to team up against their captors' scheme. Maybe some deft editing would've shortened the story enough to keep me involved.
Overall, the Eldreds are introduced with some lovely writing, and some descriptions jumped right out as beautiful writing. Readers who don't get impatient during long chases and torture scenes are much more likely to finish than I was.

Reads like the bastard child of the movie Phantasm (so strange and original) and the evil non humorous versions of the Addams Family. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It does not pull any punches, cranks up the gore, much appreciated. Highly recommended.

A crazy tale from Tim Waggoner, I'm totally not surprised of course as he has a wonderful way with the crazy!!
The Eldred, feeding off our fears, creating nightmares. The Eldred are amazingly crazy characters, reminded me in a way of a sinister version of The Munsters.
The story is far to complex to go into - you need to read it to see. It's a mad mad tale that doesn't disappoint.
As always Tim Waggoner delivers!

The forever house is not a book for the feint hearted it is quite graphic and I didn't like the peadophile character at all, but I found the the actual story was good and It made a change to read a horror book that is different to all the others I've read.

This is a scary, spooky read. Move over Stephen king!
The Rains house is standing empty in a small cul de sac. The houses around it have all been sold for considerably low prices. The Rains house is a place of tragedy. Five murders, three children, the father and the mother murdered.
No one wants a house with that kind of history. That is until now. The Eldred's have moved in. To say odd is not saying enough about this family. Mother, father, brother, sister and grandmother. Of course the neighborhood is curious. Who wouldn't be. Soon they will discover that curiosity does kill the cat and maybe them too. Right now though, the whole neighborhood has been invited to a barbecue hosted by the Eldred's. As soon as the neighbors enter the backyard, they know something is not right. There is definitely something amiss with this family, this place.
Later, they will discover that the bad feeling is something they should have paid attention to. A fight against supernatural entities for their lives will ensue.
Creepy, titillating read!!

THE FOREVER HOUSE is another wildly imaginative thrill ride from the twisted mind of Tim Waggoner.

I really enjoyed this gruesome, mind-blowing little tale. Waggoner truly has a way with all things weird, and fans of extreme horror are sure to dig this one. But, it's NOT for the faint of heart!

Nothing lasts forever. Well, ok, no, maybe some things do. Love, diamonds, existential sadness, but when it comes to reading, tastes change. Mine did. Significantly. Waggoner used to be an author I really liked back when I read almost exclusively this sort of thing and Leisure Publishers delivered it. Nowadays the books I’ve tried by the author left mostly with indifference. This one faired nicer, it was a nice reminder of Waggoner’s potential, his wild imagination. This is a story of a quiet sleepy cul de sac in a small town Ohio that gets radically woken up into a living nightmare by a new family that arrives one day in a pretty freaking awesome self driving car that would put any Waymo to shame. The Eldreds are such a nice family…two parents, two kids, a granny and a robotic servant, you know, the usual. And the not so usual…they live off the negative psychic energy of others. So the lovely cul de sac is actually less of a new place to live and more of a buffet for them. So now the neighbors will be put through personalized nightmarish scenarios to pump up their fear juices. All bets are off when the feeding time is upon them. Fun story with an unusual (a pleasantly welcome surprise) amount of character development and some genuinely imaginative scares, but in the end just too heavy on the latter for me. The character development is necessary, of course, for that comes next. And you have an assortment of familial strifes to sift through here, the neighbors are all notably racially diverse, deliberately noticeably so, I mean my apartment building in one of the largest melting pot cities in the US has less racial diversity than a tiny cul de sac in nowhere Ohio. And the conflicts aren’t even really race based, a lot of it has to do with sexuality, financial difficulties, personal politics, gender politics, etc. Sexuality is probably the main thing, since Waggoner leans on it as heavily as he does on the gore and guts aspects for his very special blend of horrific entertainment. But no matter how much you might like the characters, don’t get attached, because terrible things are in store for them. Who will survive the feeding time? Read and find out. The novel itself was just ok, but The Eldreds were a very enjoyable creation, a family along the lines of Addams or Munsters, and that’s always fun. Fun read in general, albeit somewhat too much for me in certain ways. I suppose I prefer things of a more psychological nature. But there was enough of that in here to merit interest too. Plus I really liked the ending. So yeah. Genre fans, get ready for a memorable feast At The Eldred’s place where the guests are the menu. Enter if you dare. Thanks Netgalley.